We all have our favorite dish at Thanksgiving. Maybe it's sweet potato casserole, cheesy mashed potatoes, Jello salad or cornbread dressing. No matter that crazy great-aunt Melba came up with the recipe 47 years ago; if it's not on the table when the bird is served, then just call the whole thing off, amiright?
Below are "must have" dishes for some of Dallas' top chefs.
Brian Luscher, The Grape "A cellar temp red burgundy. Turkey pan gravy (I don't care what Paula Deen, Anne Burrell, Ina or Giada says, don't f* with it). Traditional sage bread stuffing -- don't put any bullsh!t in there: no oysters, no star anise, no sunchokes, no craisins, no chorizo, just play it straight. Crispy skin. I could eat the skin off entire turkey without remorse. I am the dominant male on this one; I will bare my teeth if you get too close to my quarry. I will eat the fat off your steak, too. Yeast rolls and butter. But, all I really need to be satisfied on T-Day is straight-up traditional dressing and gravy."
Brad Albers, Eddie V's "Two things on my table every year: O'Carroll's Corn Casserole and Granna's Mac & Cheese. Both are family hits! They both go great with turkey or ham, all ya need then are some good wines & cold beer."
Matt McCallister, Campo Modern Bistro "My mom's green chili cheesy potatoes. Roasted green chilis, potatoes and sharp cheddar. Secretly there's a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken in there too. I still make it and it gets sour cream."
Kent Rathbun, Abacus, Jasper's Rathbun's Blue Plate Special, Shin Sei, KB's "Cajun fried chicken with jalapeno gravy is a MUST for me and, I know it sounds different, but when I was growing up my family always had fried chicken along with the turkey or ham for our holiday dinner so I have to keep the tradition."
Dwight Harvey, Off the Bone "I can't have Thanksgiving without my wife's cornbread dressing and not only do I eat it on Thanksgiving day but it's the first thing I get for breakfast when I wake up."
Randy Morgan, Fish City Grille "Nothing screams Thanksgiving to me more than my Roasted Butternut Squash Green Apple Hash with Caramelized Onions and Smoked Bacon. The flavors combined are a perfect combination for the holidays."
Jason Boso, Twisted Root "I have to have classic flavors from my youth and I LOVE green bean casserole."
David McMillan, The Screen Door "Everything, super traditional, at least in my eyes. Turkey, cranberry sauce, giblet gravy, stuffing, candied yams with pecan streusel, mashed pots, green beans. Until this past year I always did this creamed onion gratin. I grew up with it, we always had it, so I always continued to make it. Last year I asked, "Does anyone like the onions?" It was a resounding no, even by me. So, one less tradition to carry on with starting this year!"
Salvatore Gisellu, Urban Crust in Plano Salvatore and his wife Jeanne Marie (who does a lot of the cooking at home) order the Urban Crust Thanksgiving meal. Then they add about a dozen more items that they "have to have" like pate de fois gras apple, pecan cranberry salad, butternut squash, cranberry pine nut salad, sweet potato gnocchi and chocolate orange cloud cake. They also feed the deploying troops at DFW at 10 am every Thanksgiving day.
David Holben, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse Chef Holben makes sautéed brussel sprout leaves with caramelized onions and apple-smoked bacon every year.
Dean Fearing, Fearing's Fearing makes personal favorite at Thanksgiving is Tortilla Dressing made with corn-bread crumbs, corn and flour tortillas and jalapeno chiles.
